Drug dealers leave Dudley residents afraid to leave their homes, MPs are told

Sonia Kumar told a debate in the House of Commons that Dudley Council refused to reinstall a temporary security camera after the issue was raised.

Miss Kumar organised the parliamentary debate on anti-social behaviour in Dudley, saying she received emails about the problem on a daily basis.

She said residents had to endure racial slurs being shouted, people urinating in public, vandalism of public gardens, drug-dealing and roads covered by litter.

"It is entirely unacceptable, and that behaviour is a blight on the communities of Dudley. It causes terror, particularly for elderly and vulnerable residents, causes damage to our communities, undermines pride of place and breeds a culture and perception of lawlessness, which ultimately leads only one way."

During the debate, Miss Kumar told Home Office minister Jess Phillips that Dudley was not getting its fair share of funding when it was allocated for the West Midlands.

Stourbridge MP Cat Eccles and Halesowen MP Alex Ballinger also reported similar incidents in their constituencies.

"In Dudley, residents are increasingly concerned about vandalism, intimidation, dangerous driving, off-road bikes, groups engaging in persistent disorder, theft, drug dealing and—my pet hate—fly-tipping. Anti-social behaviour erodes community confidence and makes people feel unsafe. It not only undermines trust among neighbours but hinders our local businesses and tarnishes our towns’ reputations as vibrant, welcoming places to work and live.

"The impact on our high streets and businesses is significant. Some estimates show that the cost to businesses and individuals of the heightened fear of crime is in excess of £70 billion a year. That is simply unacceptable. We must be better at reducing the cost and consequences of anti-social behaviour."

Miss Kumar said a case in Oak Street, Coseley stuck in her mind. 

"A resident wrote to me about drug dealing, vandalism and threatening behaviour by gangs who frequently gather near Silver Jubilee Park," she said.

"Residents became so worried that they remained in their homes, frightened to go out and complain for fear of retaliation. Sadly, when those issues were raised with the council, it refused to reinstall temporary CCTV. That was incredibly frustrating and disappointing. I hope that my Conservative council is listening and will change its decision."

She said Upper Gornal was another hotspot.

"There are repeated incidents of joyriding on motorbikes late at night around the green, disrupting local residents and making roads too dangerous to use in case of an accident," she said. 

"Fly-tipping is also a constant issue for my constituents, with Kates Hill in Dudley singled out to me as a significant problem area for residents."

Miss Kumar said anti-social behaviour was a complex issue, with social, psychological and economic factors. She said poverty and deprivation were consistently identified as primary root causes, with high levels of poor mental health, including depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress, especially among teenagers, a contributory factor.

Mr Ballinger said one of his own constituents complained about somebody frequently smoking cannabis outside her home.

"Although she reported it to Dudley Council and the police, little was done," he said.

"In fact, it was only after my office became involved that something happened. That might seem a minor incident to the authorities, it is really important for our constituents.

Miss Eccles said the whole of Dudley borough was blighted by anti-social behaviour.

"Fly-tipping is absolutely prolific in the Lye ward of my constituency, and the council is really struggling to enforce against much of it because a lot of it associated with organised crime. She said councils needed more resources to tackle environmental crime.

Miss Kumar said a lack of sports, youth or activity centres left young people with limited options, and voiced concerns about proposals to close the Meadow Road youth centre on the Wrens Nest Estate. She said she was fighting to bring Dudley Town football club back to the borough, and said it was imperative that community assets such as Sedgley library should be saved.

Mrs Phlllips said that anti-social behaviour was not low-level, trivial or minor.

"To minimise it in that way is an insult to the many people who suffer every day as a result of the selfish actions of others," she said.

"Anti-social behaviour eats away at people’s sense of security and local pride, and it needs to be dealt with as the serious threat that it is."

She said for too long, the response had been weak and ineffective, but the present government was putting that right.

She said tackling illegal drugs was key to delivering the Government’s mission to make streets safer, to halve knife crime, and crack down on anti-social behaviour, as well as tackling the gangs which lured young people into violence and crime."

Mrs Phillips said she was committed to ensuring that all areas of the West Midlands received their fair share of funding.

Councillor Ian Bevan, cabinet member responsible for housing at Dudley Council, said: "While we cannot comment on individual cases, we take all reports of neighbour nuisance and anti-social behaviour seriously both in our homes and the community more widely.  

“I would like to remind our residents that any concerns over criminal activity, including illegal substance misuse, should be reported to the police, who would naturally lead on such matters with our support as needed.”